Bonzai3d | Lighting | Emitter Lights

Owned by ben (Unlicensed)
Last updated: 05 Dec, 2013 by Mihai Iliuta (Unlicensed)
4 min read

Emitter Lights

The plugin provides a suite of abstract light types to quickly set up sophisticated interior lighting.

Point, Cone, Softbox, and IES light types automatically create lamp geometry mapped with MXM emitter materials behind the scenes when the Maxwell rendering is invoked. In the Lights palette, these light types are indicated with pale yellow icons.

Common Parameters

Parameters common to most types follow:

Intensity Tab

  • Color: Selecting RGB will assign the color picker color to the emitter output. Alternately, select Temperature to specify the emitter output in degrees kelvin.
  • Luminance: The luminance of the source can be specified via a number of industry-standard schemes, including by input power and efficacy, output lumens, lux, etc. The intensity of light is delivered into the scene is affected by not only by the luminance, but also by the color and the emitter size (see below).

Shadows Tab

Maxwell emitters always cast shadows, so this option is disabled when editing a Maxwell light type.

Parameters Tab

  • Invisible Geometry: Enabling this option will cause the emitter geometry to be invisible to the camera in the Maxwell scene, though the emitter will still illuminate the objects around it.
  • Quality: [1-Lowest - 5 Highest] Controls the number of faces (polygons) making up the emitter object. The default value (2) should work in almost all cases. Increasing this value may eliminate lighting artifacts, but will also increase render time.

 

Point and Cone Lights

The plugin can automatically translate Bonzai3d’s Point and Cone light types into emitter-mapped geometries that Maxwell can use as light sources.

In addition to the common parameters detailed in the previous section, Point and Cone lights have the following unique parameters:

  • Enabled: If enabled, the light will be exported to the Maxwell scene; otherwise, it will only illuminate in Bonzai3d’s ‘Shaded’ mode and not in the Maxwell rendering.

    There is a global override for this setting which can be used to disable the export of all cone and point lights in the scene. See Render Options: Scene.

  • Diameter: Sets the diameter of the emitter sphere (bulb). Geodesic spheres are used for an even of distribution and maximum efficiency.

 

Softbox

Softbox widget shows actual size and direction

The Softbox type is modeled on the photographic instrument of the same name, in which a bulb illuminates the subject though a rectangular diffusion screen, creating a localized, yet ‘soft’ light. The plugin equivalent is a rectangular plane which is mapped with an emitter material. The Softbox type is the fastest-rendering of the emitter type lights.

When the Softbox light body is moved, it will always point toward the light's center or interest (indicated by an arrowhead). Also, the Softbox light body will always remain level with the ground plane.

In addition to the common parameters detailed in the previous section, Softbox lights have the following unique parameters:

  • Width, Height: The width and height of the Softbox. The width is always level with the ground plane.

 

IES

Relative intensity distribution pattern indicators for three IES lights

IES and EULUMDAT files specify the intensity and direction of emission from specific light fixtures. These files are available from manufacturers.

The base of the fixture, as defined by the IES / EULUMDAT file (e.g., the negative-Z axis), will always point toward the light’s COI.

Intensity Tab

  • Open: Select the IES or LDT file. A 2D representation of the distribution pattern is displayed below the filepath field
  • Delete: Remove link to the file.

  • Intensity: Override the intensity of the light as defined in the IES file.

    Only the default, 1.0, represents the fixture's intensity accurately.

Parameters Tab

  • Diameter: Sets the diameter of the emitter sphere. The default size is recommended. Geodesic spheres are used for an even of distribution and maximum efficiency.
  • Spin: Controls the rotation of the fixture about the axis defined by the light origin and COI. The origin of rotation (0 degrees) always points ‘down’ to the ground plane (XY plane).
  • Length: Controls the length of the IES distribution pattern widget in the 3D modeling space.

 

Projector

Projector lights can be used to simulate light beams, video projectors, and the like. For full details on this feature, please see the Maxwell documentation: Spot emitters

Intensity Tab

  • Open: Select the image file to be projected. Both standard and HDRI formats are supported.
  • Delete: Remove link to the file.

  • Intensity: Light intensity.

Parameters Tab

  • Angle: Field-of-view of the projection
  • Blur: Defocus the image. Values greater than 100% are permissible, and may be necessary to achieve sufficient blur when the projector and projection surface are at a great distance.
  • Spin: Controls the rotation of the fixture about the axis defined by the light origin and COI. Zero degrees results in the image appearing "upright" relative to an observer on the ground plane.